Key takeaways
- Labour is only paid during the first stretch of coverage. On the lifetime shingles that is 10 years at CertainTeed, Owens Corning and GAF, and 15 years at IKO and BP. On the entry-level shingles all five give 5 years.
- Lifetime is not a length of time. Four of the five documents define it as for as long as you own the house; BP ties it to the owner's lifetime instead.
- All five allow exactly one transfer, ever. Once the early full-coverage period is over, four of the five cut the new owner to two years, and IKO does not allow the transfer at all after year 10.
- After the non-prorated years you get a shrinking share of shingle material and nothing else. BP caps that share at $45 per square on Mystique and Everest, and $75 per square on Vangard.
- Three of the five documents cut the whole warranty to 10 years on an under-ventilated or unventilated roof: IKO, CertainTeed and BP.
A shingle warranty pays for labour only during its first stretch of coverage. That stretch is shorter than the number on the wrapper. On the lifetime shingles from the five brands sold in Ontario it runs 10 years at CertainTeed, Owens Corning and GAF, and 15 years at IKO and BP. On the entry-level shingles all five give 5 years. After that the maker owes you a shrinking share of the price of new shingles and nothing else. No labour, no tear-off, no disposal. And "lifetime" is not a length of time at all. In four of the five documents it means for as long as you own the house.
What we read, and how
We read the warranty document each maker publishes for a roof installed in Canada, not a retailer's summary of it. Five brands, all read on August 27, 2026:
- IKO, the Asphalt Shingle Limited Warranty for shingles "installed within Canada on or after February 1, 2025". Claims go to IKO in Brampton.
- CertainTeed, the 2026 Asphalt Shingle Residential Products Limited Warranty. It "applies to shingles installed from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026".
- Owens Corning, the Standard Product Limited Lifetime Warranty, which "applies only to those shingles purchased after January 1, 2026".
- BP Canada, the BP Shingle Limited Warranty for the East, effective January 1, 2026.
- GAF, the GAF Shingle & Accessory Limited Warranty, "effective for GAF Products installed after January 1, 2025".
All five are sold here. Maple Roofing Supplies in Richmond Hill stocks IKO and BP. Home Depot Canada lists GAF Timberline HDZ and Owens Corning TruDefinition Duration. RONA lists CertainTeed Landmark.
The comparison, brand by brand
Two terms first. Non-prorated means the payment is not cut for the roof's age. Prorated means it is: the older the roof, the smaller the share. Each brand gives its non-prorated years a trade name of its own, which is why the wrappers do not compare.
| Brand and shingle line | Headline term | Non-prorated period | Labour paid in it | Tear-off paid in it | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IKO Dynasty, Cambridge, Nordic, Armourshake, Crowne Slate, Royal Estate, RoofShake HW | Limited Lifetime | 15 years, "Iron Clad Protection" | Yes | No | https://www.iko.com/na/document/canada-limited-warranty/ |
| IKO Marathon Plus AR | 25 years | 5 years | Yes | No | https://www.iko.com/na/document/canada-limited-warranty/ |
| CertainTeed Landmark, Landmark ClimateFlex, Patriot | Lifetime | 10 years, "SureStart" | Yes | No | https://certainteed.widen.net/content/lhxusjcb55/pdf/asphalt-low-slope-shingle-warranty-effective-5-1-26-00-02-5540-2605.pdf |
| CertainTeed Landmark PRO, Landmark Premium, Landmark TL, NorthGate ClimateFlex, Belmont, Carriage House, Grand Manor, Highland Slate, Presidential Shake | Lifetime | 10 years, "SureStart" | Yes | Yes | https://certainteed.widen.net/content/lhxusjcb55/pdf/asphalt-low-slope-shingle-warranty-effective-5-1-26-00-02-5540-2605.pdf |
| CertainTeed XT 25 | 25 Years | 5 Years | Yes | No | https://certainteed.widen.net/content/lhxusjcb55/pdf/asphalt-low-slope-shingle-warranty-effective-5-1-26-00-02-5540-2605.pdf |
| Owens Corning Duration, Oakridge, Woodcrest, Woodmoor | Limited Lifetime | 10 years, "TRU PROtection" | Yes | No | https://www.owenscorning.com/dms/10023873 |
| Owens Corning Supreme | 25 Years | 5 Years | Yes | No | https://www.owenscorning.com/dms/10023873 |
| BP Vangard, Manoir, Signature, Everest, Mystique | Limited Lifetime | 15 years, "Up-Front Coverage" | Yes | No | https://bpcan.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/bp-shingles-warranty-canada-east-01-jan2026-web.pdf |
| BP Dakota | 25 years | 5 years | Yes | No | https://bpcan.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/bp-shingles-warranty-canada-east-01-jan2026-web.pdf |
| GAF Timberline UHDZ, Timberline HDZ and the other GAF Lifetime shingles | Lifetime | 10 Years, "Smart Choice Protection" | Yes | No | https://www.gaf.ca/en-us/document-library/documents/warranties/gaf-shingle-and-accessory-limited-warranty-reswt160l.pdf |
| GAF Marquis WeatherMax | 30 Years | 5 Years | Yes | No | https://www.gaf.ca/en-us/document-library/documents/warranties/gaf-shingle-and-accessory-limited-warranty-reswt160l.pdf |
| GAF Royal Sovereign | 25 Years | 5 Years | Yes | No | https://www.gaf.ca/en-us/document-library/documents/warranties/gaf-shingle-and-accessory-limited-warranty-reswt160l.pdf |
Six of the twelve rows are lifetime lines. Three brands set the non-prorated period at 10 years, two set it at 15. Every row that is not a lifetime line gives 5 years, whatever the headline says. A 25-year shingle and a 30-year shingle get the same 5.
One row pays for tear-off inside that period: CertainTeed's upper tier, which holds Landmark PRO, Landmark Premium and NorthGate ClimateFlex. Plain Landmark sits in the other group, where the document says tear-off, metal work, flashing and disposal "are not covered". Same brand, same word "Lifetime" on the wrapper, different deal.
"Lifetime" is a condition, not a duration
You cannot rank a lifetime term against a 50-year term. They are not the same unit. One is a length of time. The other is a condition attached to you.
IKO defines it as the period "continuing so long as the Owner owns the building on which the Shingles were installed". CertainTeed: "for as long as the original individual property owner owns the property where the shingles are installed". Owens Corning: "For as long as Owner owns home." GAF says "as long as you ... own the property", and stretches that to a second owner whose transfer landed inside the Smart Choice period. BP words it differently. Its shingles are "warranted for the lifetime of the original owner or the registered subsequent owner", and only where that individual is the sole owner of a home which is their residence.
The 40-year and 50-year numbers you see quoted are the same warranties sold to someone who is not an individual homeowner. IKO and GAF cap a corporation, condominium, government body or owners' association at 40 years. CertainTeed gives its upper tier 50 years and its Landmark tier 40. BP gives Vangard 50 and the rest 40. Owens Corning gives 40 and cuts the non-prorated period to five, as CertainTeed does on its Landmark tier.
What proration actually leaves you
After the non-prorated years, every one of the five documents does the same thing. It pays a fraction of the cost of new shingles. It pays nothing toward labour.
IKO's own example: a defect found in October 2042 in shingles installed in October 2024. That is 216 months, so the obligation drops by 384/480, and IKO owes "20% of the cost of the replacement Shingles". Owens Corning's: a claim in the 15th year on a lifetime shingle, where "we will not cover labor". The payment is 72 per cent of what the shingles and components cost at purchase. GAF's: at 300 months, "GAF's contribution will be reduced by 300/600", which is half.
BP is the only one that caps an ordinary homeowner's material payment in dollars. Its table sets a Maximum Material Liability after the Up-Front period of $45 per square for Mystique and Everest, $50 for Manoir and Signature, $75 for Vangard, and $30 for Dakota. A square is 100 square feet of roof.
On a real roof: 30 squares of Mystique, which is 3,000 square feet, with a defect found in year 20. BP's table cuts coverage in years 16 to 40 by 144/180, which leaves 20 per cent. So the ceiling is 30 squares x $45 = $1,350, and 20 per cent of $1,350 = $270. That is the whole payment. The tear-off, the labour and the disposal are yours.
Selling the house
The same rule sits in all five documents. You get one transfer. One.
| Brand | Transfers allowed | Notice deadline | The cut-off that matters | Transfer before the cut-off | Transfer after the cut-off | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IKO | One | Within 30 days of the real estate transfer | 10 years from installation | New owner keeps coverage, capped at 10 years from installation | Not permitted | https://www.iko.com/na/document/canada-limited-warranty/ |
| CertainTeed | One | The document sets none | End of SureStart, so 10 years, or 5 on XT 25 | Same warranty, but lifetime becomes 50 or 40 years from installation | 2 years from the date of transfer | https://certainteed.widen.net/content/lhxusjcb55/pdf/asphalt-low-slope-shingle-warranty-effective-5-1-26-00-02-5540-2605.pdf |
| Owens Corning | One | Within 60 days after the real estate transfer | End of TRU PROtection, so 10 years, or 5 on Supreme | New owner gets the balance of coverage | 2 years after the ownership change | https://www.owenscorning.com/dms/10023873 |
| BP | One | Within 30 days of the ownership transfer | 10 years from installation, 5 on Dakota | Warranty period continues unchanged | The lesser of 2 years from transfer or the balance | https://bpcan.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/bp-shingles-warranty-canada-east-01-jan2026-web.pdf |
| GAF | One | Within one year after the property transfer | End of Smart Choice Protection, so 10 Years, or 5 | New owner gets the same coverage as the original owner | 2 years after the ownership change | https://www.gaf.ca/en-us/document-library/documents/warranties/gaf-shingle-and-accessory-limited-warranty-reswt160l.pdf |
Sell early and the buyer inherits something real. Sell late and four of the five brands hand the buyer a two-year warranty on a roof advertised as lifetime, paid in prorated material only. IKO does not offer the late transfer at all. Its window closes at 10 years. Its document adds that if the original owner dies before a valid transfer, the warranty "ends on the death of the Owner".
The deadlines are short, and CertainTeed has none: the word "days" appears once in its whole 2026 document, in the 30-day rule for reporting a claim.
Owens Corning also charges for the transfer. Its Canadian warranty page, read on August 28, 2026, says so. It tells the second owner to bring "proof of purchase, proof of ownership and transfer fee based on the year your roof was installed". The warranty document itself names no fee.
What actually voids it
Bad attic ventilation is in all five documents. Three of them shorten the warranty itself. The other two refuse to pay for the damage it causes.
Ventilation is the clause that costs the most
IKO cuts the warranty to 10 years with five years of Iron Clad Protection on an insulated, under-ventilated or unventilated deck, and prorates it at 10 per cent a year. CertainTeed cuts it to 10 years and removes SureStart, though full coverage stands if it decides the defect had nothing to do with the ventilation. BP limits coverage to 10 years "without any Up-Front coverage period" on insulated or non-ventilated decks. Ask your roofer to write the intake and exhaust vent area into the quote.
Installation is the second big one. GAF is the mildest. Its document says that "even if your GAF Products were not properly installed according to GAF's application instructions or to standard good roofing practices, this limited warranty remains in effect". It will not pay for damage the bad work caused. IKO, CertainTeed, Owens Corning and BP all exclude damage from installation that departs from their printed instructions.
Layover means nailing new shingles over the old ones instead of stripping the roof first. Only two of the five documents mention it. CertainTeed's upgraded wind warranty, the one worth 130 or 160 mph, applies only if "the CertainTeed shingles are not applied over existing roof shingles (roof-overs are not permitted)". BP excludes "appearance problems related to multiple layer installation (application over old shingles)". The IKO, Owens Corning and GAF documents carry no roof-over clause. Their application instructions, printed on the wrapper, are what govern.
Registration is the worry that matters least. CertainTeed says so in a heading: "Warranty Registration (not required)". It adds that failure to register "does NOT void the warranty or any of its terms". IKO's form tells you to keep it for your records, then adds "DO NOT SEND TO IKO". All five ask instead for proof of purchase. CertainTeed, Owens Corning and GAF also want proof you owned the property when the shingles went on. Keep the contract and the invoice.
The upgraded warranties, and what they cost
None of the five base warranties needs a certified installer. Owens Corning says so plainly: "anyone can install provided the proper installation instructions and local building codes are followed". GAF lists its base warranty's eligibility as "None! Great coverage accompanies purchase of the product."
The certified installer shows up in the upgrades, which move the number that matters. IKO's ROOFPRO Select or Craftsman Premier warranty raises Iron Clad Protection from 15 years to 20. It carries a $75 application processing fee, and the contractor files it within 90 days of finishing. BP's extended warranty is exclusive to BP Certified Roofers. On a single-family home it runs Total Protection in years 1 to 4 on Mystique and Up-Front Protection through year 50, and Total Protection pays tear-off and disposal. Owens Corning's Preferred and Platinum warranties stretch the non-prorated period to 50 years and include tear-off. GAF steps up through Certified, Certified Plus and Master Elite contractors. CertainTeed's ShingleMaster PRO and PREMIER contractors can offer SureStart PLUS, which backs the contractor's workmanship for 25 years.
Check yours in ten minutes
Find the contract and the invoice from the roof job. That is your proof of purchase. Note the installation date, the shingle name and the number of squares. Then look up the warranty in force on your installation date, not today's. IKO, CertainTeed, Owens Corning and GAF all say that version governs, and Owens Corning will send an older copy if you give it the month and year. BP's 2026 document does not say it. What it prints at the top instead is "Replaces all previous warranties", so ask BP which version covers your roof.
Then do the two subtractions that decide everything. Years since installation, against the non-prorated period in the table above. And, if you bought the house, whether the transfer was filed in writing inside the window.
Do not take the terms from the shopping listing. RONA's product page for CertainTeed Landmark contradicts itself. Read on August 28, 2026, its specification block gives the warranty as "50-year limited" and its description says "1-year SureStart protection". But the same description also calls it a "Transferable lifetime limited warranty", and the spec block lists "Base Warranty Labor(Months) 120". CertainTeed's own 2026 document gives Landmark a lifetime term for an individual homeowner and a 10-year SureStart period, which is that same 120 months. The maker's document is the one that pays.
Frequently asked questions
What voids a shingle warranty?
Bad attic ventilation appears in all five documents, and in three it shortens the warranty itself: IKO, CertainTeed and BP cut coverage to 10 years on an unventilated or under-ventilated deck. Installation that departs from the printed instructions is excluded by IKO, CertainTeed, Owens Corning and BP. GAF is the exception. Its warranty "remains in effect", but it will not pay for damage the bad work caused.
What does a 30 year shingle warranty cover?
In this study set only GAF Marquis WeatherMax carries a 30 Years term, and its non-prorated period is 5 Years. For those five years GAF pays "the full reasonable cost of labor" plus replacement product. For the other 25 it pays a prorated share of material, with no labour, no tear-off and no disposal.
How long does a 25 year shingle really last?
The documents refuse to answer, and say so. IKO's warranty states that its warranty periods "are not guarantees of the useful lifetime of the Shingles". How long the shingles keep shedding water depends on roof design, ventilation, weather and exposure. BP's limited lifetime warranty "does not constitute and should not be interpreted as a statement or representation as to the durability of BP shingles". A warranty term is a payment schedule, not a life expectancy.
How do I know if my roof is still under warranty?
Start from the installation date on your contract or invoice. Coverage runs from the day installation was completed, and the warranty in force that day is the one that applies. If you are inside the non-prorated period in the table above, labour is still in play. If you bought the house, check the seller filed the transfer in writing inside the window: 30 days for IKO and BP, 60 days for Owens Corning, one year for GAF.
Is a roof shingle warranty different in Canada?
Yes, and the documents are territorial. IKO's Canadian warranty says outright that it does not cover shingles bought in Canada and installed in the United States, or the reverse. CertainTeed's covers shingles "sold only in the United States of America, its territories and Canada". BP writes separate East and West versions, and Ontario gets East.
Which brand has the best shingle warranty?
It depends which part you care about. IKO and BP give the longest non-prorated period at 15 years. CertainTeed's upper tier is the only row in the table paying tear-off inside that period. GAF gives the longest transfer window at one year, and alone keeps the warranty in force after a bad installation.
Do I have to register my shingle warranty?
No. CertainTeed puts it in a heading, "Warranty Registration (not required)", and adds that failure to register "does NOT void the warranty or any of its terms". IKO's form is printed "DO NOT SEND TO IKO". All five ask instead for proof of purchase, and CertainTeed, Owens Corning and GAF also want proof you owned the property when the shingles went on.
Does putting a new roof over the old shingles void the warranty?
Not on its face in any of the five documents, but it costs you coverage in two. CertainTeed's upgraded wind warranty of 130 or 160 mph applies only where "roof-overs are not permitted", so a layover drops you to the base rating. BP excludes "appearance problems related to multiple layer installation". IKO, Owens Corning and GAF say nothing about a second layer, which leaves the wrapper instructions as the rule.
Sources (14)
- IKO Asphalt Shingle Limited Warranty (Canada) · IKO Industries Ltd. (retrieved )
- Application and Information for Extended Limited Warranty on ROOFPRO SELECT or CRAFTSMAN PREMIER Installed Asphalt Shingles (Canada) · IKO Industries Ltd. (retrieved )
- Asphalt Shingle Residential Products 2026 Limited Warranty · CertainTeed LLC (retrieved )
- Roofing 101: Worry-Free Warranties · CertainTeed Canada (retrieved )
- Standard Product Limited Lifetime Warranty on Owens Corning Roofing Shingles and Components · Owens Corning Roofing and Asphalt, LLC (retrieved )
- Roofing Warranties (Canada) · Owens Corning Canada (retrieved )
- BP Shingle Limited Warranty, East, effective January 1, 2026 · Building Products of Canada Corp. (retrieved )
- BP Extended Warranty, exclusive to BP Certified Roofers, East, effective January 1, 2026 · Building Products of Canada Corp. (retrieved )
- GAF Shingle & Accessory Limited Warranty (RESWT160L) · GAF Materials LLC (retrieved )
- Residential roof warranty comparison guide (Canada) · GAF Canada (retrieved )
- CertainTeed Landmark Roof Shingles in Asphalt 33.33-cu ft, Granite Grey · RONA (retrieved )
- Maple Roofing Supplies, Richmond Hill · Maple Roofing Supplies (retrieved )
- GAF Timberline HDZ Canadian Driftwood Roof Shingles · The Home Depot Canada (retrieved )
- Owens Corning TruDefinition Duration Sierra Gray Algae Resistant Laminate Roofing Shingles · The Home Depot Canada (retrieved )
How this guide was made
Read on August 27, 2026: the current published warranty documents of the five asphalt shingle brands sold in Ontario (IKO, CertainTeed, Owens Corning, BP Canada and GAF), plus IKO's and BP's certified-installer extended warranties, and one Ontario point of sale for each brand.
